Nicola Bell, defending, conceded it was a “dreadful” offence and a custodial sentence was inevitable.

She said Forrester, who has battled a heroin problem for most of his adult life, had no previous convictions for violence.

She said he was remorseful and apologised to Mr Cotterill and his mother.

“He was heavily in drink and had also taken diazepam. He has very little recollection of what occurred.

“He is not a violent man.”

Jailing Forrester for 20 months, Judge Paul Glenn said: “This was an unpleasant and totally unprovoked assault on an innocent man. He was deaf. There is no evidence you knew that, nor that you were responsible for the damage caused to his house which brought him out in the first place.

“While he was looking at the damage on the windows you came across the road. You punched him and hit him so hard you broke his nose.

“Not content with that, you pulled away part of a brick pillar. As he tried to flee you threw a brick at him.